-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bryan and Donna Scott married a year and a half after meeting on the beach in their home state of Florida . For their wedding , they received several antiques that they often spent weekends fixing up . The hobby became a habit as they frequented garage and estate sales , looking for old lighting fixtures they could make new .

Eventually , requests came in from family and friends who wanted them , and then from an online store Bryan set up .

By 2008 , when recession caused many small businesses to close shop , the Scotts left their day jobs to grow the business , Barn Light Electric Company .

`` I always tell people I became an accidental business owner , '' founder and owner Bryan said . `` It just happened . It was so successful and grew so much . ''

The Scotts , both 48 , left careers in law enforcement and nursing to focus on Barn Light . The company , based in Titusville , Florida , manufactures and sells vintage-inspired lighting fixtures and has expanded into other industrial-styled goods . Last year , Scott reported , the company pulled in $ 10 million in revenue .

It was n't always easy . They used their first profits to pay off bills in the event their success was only a flash .

`` After we quit our jobs , it was scary at that point . I did n't know if it was going to last , '' he said . Going from `` fixed income to being responsible for your own paycheck , '' they realized that the livelihood of their three children and then-staff of three employees depended on Barn Light 's success .

It motivated them to keep working hard and stay grounded . They 've been married for 29 years , Scott said , and building Barn Light made them stronger . He is the `` gas , '' and Donna is the `` bricks , '' he said of their collaborative management of the company ; he runs the manufacturing while she heads the administration , sales and marketing .

He has some advice for others interested in turning their hobbies into a business .

`` First , have a passion for what you 're doing and do n't approach it as a money-making opportunity , '' he said . `` Second , find that unserved niche within your hobby and aggressively go after it . Third , be a good blogger/copywriter or find someone who can do this for you . ''

Scott attributes their success largely to being unique . They 're manufacturing vintage-inspired lighting styles and specialize in porcelain enamel finishes , a process the company says `` has not been seen in America for over 50 years . '' The company bought the patents of old lighting businesses , including Benjamin Electric Manufacturing Company , and allows employees and customers to suggest ideas for new styles .

A sense of family within the workplace and a strong connection to their Florida town has helped sustain and grow the business , they said . The Scotts both grew up in Titusville , famous for the Kennedy Space Center . They 've hired an eclectic group of employees , including longtime workers on the space shuttle program , coal miners and about a dozen convicted felons with whom that Bryan developed relationships and offered a second chance .

`` They put heart and soul into the company . -LSB- They 're -RSB- some of our best workers , '' Scott said , and noted that some of them are now in managerial positions .

Johnny Bragg , manufacturing general manager for Barn Light and Bryan Scott 's uncle , calls Barn Light the best job he 's ever had .

`` I 'm a veteran . I like American-made products , '' he said . `` Employees take pride in their work . ''

Bragg thinks of his fellow employees as close friends , he said . They `` do n't just leave because it 's the end of the day but because they 've done a good job for Barn Light . ''

The company pays well , employees said , and has a sense of humor , too .

After a string of visitors became pregnant after drinking from a certain water fountain , they hung a sign that says , `` Warning ! Drinking from this water may cause pregnancy . '' One employee 's wife intentionally drank from the fountain to test the myth -- and turned out to be pregnant .

They grew from a spare bedroom , to the garage , to a storefront and eventually , to three facilities -- shipping and assembly , porcelain enamel production and administration . The company is planning a move into one large building to bring their 80 employees under one roof in September , although projected growth suggests they might need to move in a few years .

Locals may see a new building and go `` Oh , its Barn Light , they 're getting bigger again , '' Barn Light 's communications coordinator Betty Lynne said .

`` It speaks to his heart , '' Lynne says of Bryan and the work ethic of the couple . `` He 's one of the few people I know that loves going to work every day and loves what he does . ''

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Barn Light Electric Company started as an interest in refurbishing antique lighting

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Its husband-and-wife founders left their jobs to grow the company

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Barn Light 's presence has helped to keep jobs in their hometown of Titusville , Florida

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Founder : `` Have a passion for what you 're doing ... find that unserved niche ''